General

Lagoon emergency opening could have been avoided
As with any issue there needs to be balance and the Waituna Lagoon is no exception, according to Waituna Catchment Group Chairman Maarten Van Rossum. Recent articles in the media have told only one side of recent happenings in the catchment, which is 40km south-east of Invercargill, in Southland. TIMELINE: November 6, 2023 ES testing shows […]

Lagoon lament: Waituna woes continue
The community in Waituna, many of whom have farmed there for decades, had been calling for common sense concerning the management of the lagoon for months, if not years.

Challenging year for Farmlands
Farmlands has released its 2023 Annual Report. It emphasises the rural supplies co-op’s focus on backing its core farmers and growers in a difficult operating environment, while also setting the co-op up for long-term success as a rural market leader in rural supplies, fuel, animal health, nutrition, agronomy and horticulture. Kiwi farmers and growers are facing […]

NZ Yarn & Hemp P/ship formed
Hemp New Zealand has acquired a 15% interest in NZ Yarn in an effort to develop new blends and exciting consumer products. The partnership will innovate hemp fibre processing as well as boost the development of new consumer products made from hemp yarn, wool & hemp yarn blends and non-woven wool and hemp products Craig […]

WLG helps farmers with riparian management
Thanks to funding from the Department of Conservation Arawai Kakariki Waituna Wetlands project, the Waituna Landcare Group is able to offer farmers assistance with their riparian planting programme, employing local, Peter Stewart, to do this work. Peter is now working on six farms in the Waituna Catchment, undertaking planting, clearing of plants and weed control. […]

Farmer well-being is important
While farmers’ well-being at work is not directly visible to the consumer, it forms an important part of responsible food production.

60% more wheat needed by 2050
Wheat is a major staple crop worldwide but its production has not reached demand in 10 of the 15 past years

Guilty accountant to pay for ethics breach
Invercargill accountant James Hennessy has been ordered to pay $19,376 in costs after pleading guilty to …

More than one cause of mismatched lambs
By Joanne Marshall When one of a set of twins is twice the size of his mate you’ve got problems – especially when the ewe decides she only likes the big lamb. While it’s one thing to try and find a solution for problems like this it’s yet another to find out exactly what causes […]